FDA Inspections Decline

FDA Foreign Inspections Decline As Nationwide Cyclospora Outbreak Raises Safety Concerns

A nationwide outbreak of cyclospora linked to contaminated lettuce has heightened safety concerns about imported food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been conducting fewer international inspections of foreign food sites, including the Mexican farm linked to the outbreak, since 2019. This follows years of retirements and departures among FDA inspectors. The agency had previously failed to meet its congressionally mandated international inspections, and recent staffing cuts under President Donald Trump could result in even fewer inspections. The Trump administration has proposed new approaches to stretch agency resources, including a pilot program of one-day inspections, which critics argue are not equivalent to traditional ones. The FDA is also studying how many foreign inspections should be conducted annually to ensure oversight comparable to the U.S. food supply.

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